Fri Feb 14 08:43:24 UTC 2025: ## Russian Drone Attack Damages Chernobyl Shelter: Radiation Levels Normal
**Munich, Germany – February 14, 2025** – A Russian drone attack on the Chernobyl nuclear power plant overnight caused significant damage to the New Safe Confinement, the protective shelter over the destroyed reactor, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced today. While a fire resulting from the strike has been extinguished, the extent of the damage to the shelter is substantial, according to initial assessments.
Despite the attack, both President Zelenskyy and the UN’s energy watchdog confirmed that radiation levels remain within normal parameters. The incident occurred as high-level U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials convened at the Munich Security Conference to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The New Safe Confinement, a €1.5 billion structure funded by 45 international donors including the United States, was completed in 2019 to encapsulate the damaged reactor from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Its construction involved significant U.S. contributions, a fact highlighted by President Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. Yermak expressed outrage at the attack, stating that Russia is the only country to target such sites.
President Zelenskyy, currently in Munich for meetings including one with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, condemned the attack, emphasizing Russia’s disregard for consequences. Russia has yet to comment on the incident, despite repeated denials of targeting civilian infrastructure. The attack comes as newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump advocates for rapid negotiations to end the war. The atmosphere in Munich, according to Yermak, is one of anger rather than mere concern regarding the attack.
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